Happy Birthday Week!

My family celebrated five birthday's this week! It's like Christmas in July. My birthday is the 21st. My dad, Curtis and my sister-in-law share the 22nd! And mom's birthday is the 25th. It is so fun and I love that Curtis and I are a day apart.

When Curtis and I first became friends, I thought he was lying about his birthday for a long time. For years, I would never celebrate his birthday. It wasn't until I saw it on his drivers license that I believed him. Poor guy! It's his own fault because he's always joking around!

Anyway, all these birthdays and not one picture! Sad. But, Curtis and I went to The Orient Express in downtown Vinings. We used to go there all the time when we dated. It was great! After, we went to Dairy Queen and split and blizzard. And yes, I begged/made Curtis sing "happy birthday" to me. It's not a birthday until someone sings to you. He's never serious, so it sounded like a gay, Marylin Monroe rendition. If only I had a video camera.

Tuesday he wanted a burger on the grill for his birthday dinner. Of all the things I could've cooked, I did not expect that request. But, they were great! I got a tiny little cake from Gabriel's -- chocolate with white icing...yummy!

We celebrated my dad and Donna's birthday Thursday night at mom and dad's with all the grandkids. Earlier that day, we took all the grandkids to The Aqarrium. It was fun for all of us! Below are some pics.

Last, but not least, we celebrated my sweet mom's birthday Friday night Aspen's. We got mom and dad a ipod! This should be interesting. I downloaded all their cd's onto it and gave them a tutorial. Surely, they can make it work! :) Anyway, it was a great week! I got some fabric for curtins and some chairs I'm getting recovered. VERY excited about that!! Pictures to come soon. But thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

Panama City Beach or Bust?

Last weekend, I was able to travel with Curtis on a business trip to Panama City Beach, Fla. His company is bidding work on the new international airport going in down there. (I know...international sounds a little over-stated, doesn't it?) Though, I'm not a big fan of the crowded beach, I jumped at the opportunity to get away together and get some beach time.

We stayed at a great little place called Carillon Beach Resort & Spa west of Panama City Beach. It is actually in an area called Carillon Beach. Below are the views from our room in the Inn and one of the four pools.

No doubt, the place we stayed was beautiful and less than a year old. Since the hurricane came through and wiped out a lot of the old places, there are a lot of new resorts. It's been a long time since I've been to PCB and the city officials have done a lot in an effort to turn the city around.

However, I wish I could sit in on one of the city planning meetings. After dinner the first night, Curtis and I decided to ride down Front Beach Road to check out all the changes. No, we didn't cruise the strip with the windows down and our music blaring some vulgar rap music. As tempting as it was, we decided to pass. But, all kidding aside, people are still cruising the strip!! I'm still a little shocked about that. But, back to the city "planning".

When you drive down the road you'll pass the nicest hotel, an all inclusive type, and right next door is "Inn Paradise Motel". I’m sorry, what? You have to do a double-take to be certain of what you're seeing. The thought crossed my mind, do people really want to pay $350 a night and vacation literally a few yards away from a motel flashing "vacancy" in neon pink??? From the looks of some of the places, I would be surprised if they didn't have hourly rates. And this is how it is down the entire road. You'll see a place that looks like a Westin and right next door is some hole-in-the-wall. It's bizarre!

Funny story... one night we went to eat at Bone Fish. It's a great seafood chain I first fell in love with when I lived in Orlando. It's kind of like a Houston's, but seafood style. It's nice, but not pretentious. Anyway, we were sitting at the bar waiting on our table and this late 50s man walks up next to me wearing a tank top (not a sleeve-less shirt -- a true, skinny tank top), his bathing suit and flip-flops and his hair in a pony tail. Clearly not the kind of place you come to straight off the beach. I know I stared...well, simply because I stare. I’m not ashamed to admit it and this drives Curtis crazy. People watching is the best pass-time. God made us ALL different – this is true – and I like to take it all in! I also couldn’t look away because it was like the record scratched on the player when he walked in. That's how out of sync it was. Bizarre.

Anyway, none of this is to say we didn't have a good time. It was great timing for us to just get away! I love traveling and road trips with Curtis. He is really the funniest person to be with. But, no offense if PCB is your beach of choice. I just don’t understand the logic of the city’s planning and layout. I guess going to St. George Island has spoiled us. You sit on the beach hundreds of yards from the nearest house and people.

Character: What's in a name?

Finding people with character is becoming harder and harder these days. Those that hold to a high moral standard or have integrity are slowly becoming a thing of the past and it grieves me deeply. But why? Why has this -- is this happening today in our world and even in me? Could it be, especially as believers, that we -- I -- have listened to the world of "why suffer, when you can..."far too long? And, by doing so, has our -- my -- salt has lost its saltiness?

Let's think about it. You don't have to look far to find people who are suffering. No doubt, an "amen" belongs here! I could rattle off a few of my own sufferings of late, but I'll spare you the pity party.

Instead, let's look at the world's definition of suffering and compare it to Christ's. Webster's dictionary defines suffering as: undergoing or feeling pain or distress; to sustain injury or loss; to undergo an experience, an action, a process, or condition; to tolerate or allow. Not too far fetched, regardless of your where you stand spiritually.

It's on the news, in the paper, online, in our churches, amongst our friends, in our families, and even in our own lives -- suffering! No one is exempt from the many forms of suffering. Whether it's a financial loss, the loss of a loved one, loneliness, poor health, loss of hopes and dreams or seeing a loved one lost in sin -- to be sure, suffering is a part of life and it is painful.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33

Jesus left no room for confusion! This life will have suffering. We, by simply being born into the divine order of God's plan, are being born into a time of trouble.

But what is the meaning of it all? Why is it necessary? It seems easier for people to keep jobs, stay financially stable, to have good health, marriages to stay together...the list goes on. But this wasn't God's plan for our lives. You might say, "Well, since the garden it has been God's plan. But, before that, suffering was never part of His plan for our lives." Yes and no. Yes, God created Adam and Eve perfect, in His own image. Sinless. Can you imagine? But did their sin surprise Him? Did He have to scramble to come up with a "Plan B: Now that Adam and Eve Have Sinned"? Certainly not. We serve a Sovereign, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God. He knew in the midst of creation that Adam and Eve would sin. So what did their sin accomplish for human-kind? A reliance on Jesus to save us from the captivity of sin and bring us back to a right relationship with God. That doesn't make us perfect -- just dependant on a Savior.

So back to the original question: what is the meaning of all this suffering?

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3-5

Chuck Swindoll suggests character is the moral, ethical, and spiritual undergirding that rests on truth, that reinforces a life, and that resists the temptation to compromise. He goes on to say, "Character is found in people. Character resides in those who possess the image of God. (That's you and me, by the way. Gen.1:26-27) You can find the power of God in anything, but not the character." So what does this mean for us? If we are His -- the same capacities He possesses, we possess! His character can be transferred to our character -- though small and diminished in comparison-- there nevertheless. We don't have to just suffer. Through our suffering we can take on the very nature of Christ Jesus.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

This is all great stuff, but for me it still doesn't answer the question of why must we suffer?

Swindoll suggests, "Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered. He never knew physical suffering or sorrow, but from birth on He was bruised for our transgression. He became a man of sorrow, acquainted with suffering, the chastisement for our peace was on Him. We exalt the suffering in Christ's life, yet we run from it in our own. Why? As believers, why would ever expect anything different than to suffer with Christ?"

"I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I [my life of wants and desires] no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith [even through suffering] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law [right living, works], Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20

In God's mysterious plan in the development of our lives, He has a reason for hard times. It is essential for the development of character. If it could be done any other way, Jesus died for nothing!

"It is doubtful that God can use anyone greatly until He has wounded him deeply." A.W. Tozer

Lord, help me to stop fighting the suffering you bring in my life so that I, too, may gain proven character. You never promised a life free of suffering, but you promised to be with us -- Jehovah Shammah.

"I pray that our of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be all the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" Ephesians 3:16-21